CHANGEOVER CREW PARTYING: SOUTH PHILLY (June 30, 1975)The previous night (Sunday, June 29) the Stones played the first of their two shows in Philly. I got to meet all of them and got some incredible photos of the show. Backstage and onstage. I’ll recall a story about a friend of mine, Michael Lessner, a photographer of the time, who had befriended Ronnie Wood before the tour and had a dream night.

The above print, signed by Stephen Stills with a brown Sharpie marker in 1976, was damaged when a cup of orange juice spilled and seeped inside the frame. Over time, the photo adhered to the glass and it couldn’t be separated without damaging the print’s surface.

Several scientific friends from the hospital– using specialized chemicals and solvents–also tried to rescue the print but were unsuccessful. Eventually, I threw caution to the wind and gently lifted the edges of one side. I was gaining confidence, too much, apparently. As I began lifting the opposite side, the surface of the print (emulsion) tore away from the base. I’ve since scanned the photo and after some photoshop work on stains and tear marks, published it here.

There’s a lesson for everyone here: Always use a mat board over a special photo when it’s framed, so the photo doesn’t touch the surface of the glass and ruin a treasured memento.